


Yellow carnations, periwinkles and everything in between

by blakeisbaby



Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Slow Burn, i do not know british slangs and probably will never learn any, i guess?? I've never done this before help, this is completely self-indulgent i have no shame, with a little bit of plot and angst thrown in there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22820446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakeisbaby/pseuds/blakeisbaby
Summary: New town, new home, new job. Will is ready to start his life over after what happened in London. He promised himself he wouldn't let anyone get close to him, his heart still too bruised. Unfortunately for him, the people in Dedham have this annoying tendency of getting under his skin. It's especially true for the boy who works at the flower shop down the road. He smells like soil and talks too much, but Will just can't seem to get him out of his mind. The promise he's made to himself feels less attainable each day he spends here.
Relationships: Tom Blake/William Schofield, past Friedrich Baumer/William Schofield
Comments: 35
Kudos: 95





	1. Dedham

**Author's Note:**

> Oh god, I just wanted to write a sweet little flower shop au because the idea would not leave me alone but idk what happened?? The plot of this got out of hand way too fast and I'm stuck in slow-burn hell now. I only have a vague idea of where this is going please bear with me lmao. Hope you enjoy!! <3

The train ride from London to Dedham feels like a blur. Will had stared out the window the entire time, the haziness of the scenery quickly passing by matching the fuzzy feeling in his head. The events of last month kept playing in his mind over and over, making him nauseous. He works on autopilot as he reaches his stop, grabbing his backpack and suitcase. It’s only once he’s outside the train and almost out of the terminal that Will realizes it’s pouring rain outside, waves of thunder rolling in the dark gray sky. He stands at the station's exit, watching the deluge and feeling like an idiot. He hadn't planned for this. 

Actually he hadn't planned this entire thing at all. He’s usually the type of person who organizes everything in advance, so deciding to move a few hours away from London is very uncharacteristic of him. His sister had chewed his ears off for days after he told her he was coming here, telling him he was being a reckless idiot and not thinking this through. He had dismissed her back then, too angry to care, but now that he's actually here, Will realizes that she was right. He checks his phone for the time. Six o’clock sharp. He only left London two hours ago and yet he feels like he’s standing on the other side of the planet.

He’s about to call a cab when something catches his eye just beyond the door of the station. He puts his phone back in his pocket as he steps out, curiosity overtaking him. There's a little shivering ball of gray fur hidden under one of the benches outside. Without thinking, Will bends down and slowly reaches forward with his hand, palm down and fingers lax. A pair of bright green eyes slowly emerge from the fur. They look at him fixedly and the small body tightens in apprehension but the tiny cat doesn't move from its spot, so Will takes it as a good sign to keep going. He starts to slowly pet it and is shocked at how cold it feels. There’s a tug in his chest and he knows can’t possibly leave the cat here, it would surely die. 

Ever so carefully, Will picks it up from under the bench and brings it close to his chest in an effort to warm it up. He quickly realizes that his efforts are futile because he’s kneeling outside in the middle of a storm. Freezing winds blowing hard and rain whipping his face. He needs to bring the cat somewhere that’s safe and warm. He needs to bring it home.

Will is already completely drenched by now, so he sees no point in calling a cab. Besides, his new apartment building is only a few minutes' walk away from the train station. He gently tucks the cat in one of the inside pockets of his jacket and, after making sure it's secured and not about to claw its way out, Will starts his trek towards his new home and thinks that maybe, just maybe, it won't be so bad here after all.

He makes it to the front door in less than twenty minutes, and it's only there that he remembers he doesn't own a key to the building yet. He knocks and waits, standing uselessly on the front porch and shivering from the water that is soaking him to the bones. A minute passes and there's no answer. He knocks again, harder this time, and wishes he was wearing something a bit warmer than a simple t-shirt and a wool jacket. 

Will is about to knock for a third time when the door swings open, revealing an older lady, her salt and pepper hair being held in a loose bun and wearing a big cardigan that almost reaches her knees. She looks Will up and down, her eyebrows scrunched in curiosity. He realizes he must look like a madman, completely soaked, skin pale and dark bags under his eyes. He's about to explain the situation when the woman’s eyes widen in réalisation and she cuts him off before he can even start.

"Oh, you must be William! Silly me, I had completely forgotten you were coming tonight lad."

Will gives a nod and slight smile to his new landlady and before he has a chance to say anything, she's pulling him by the shoulder, bringing him inside. "Ya poor lad you're bloody soaked! You should've called me, I'd have my son pick ya up at the station." She looks genuinely distraught by his soggy state and Will feels a bit bad about it. He’s not used to motherly affection anymore.

"It's quite alright miss Leslie, it was just a bit of rain." He closes the door behind him, glad to finally be somewhere warm and dry. This reminds him of his present issue, who is currently asleep inside the pocket of his jacket. “Actually, there’s something I need to ask.” Slowly, Will removes his precious cargo from its hiding place. The cat looks annoyed at being woken up, but it doesn’t protest as Will picks it up clumsily, putting it on full display for his landlady.

Will feels his cheeks heat up in self-consciousness. He feels like a kid again, bringing in strays and begging his mum to keep them. He hopes his landlady will at least let him keep the little cat for the night, he couldn’t bear to leave it outside in such horrible weather.

Miss Leslie makes a little shocked sound at the sight of the gray cat, hands flying to her mouth in surprise. "Poor thing! Where did you find this wee lad?"

Will feels himself relax. He already knows that even if he can’t keep it, he won’t need to leave the cat outside tonight. "It was hiding underneath a bench, I just couldn't leave it there. I'm sorry miss Leslie, I should have asked what your policy on animals was before bringing it here."

"Oh now sush you." Miss Leslie waves a dismissing hand his way. "Stop speaking nonsense and let me have a look at it.” She extends her hands forward, making little grabbing motions. “And please, call me Dottie." 

“Alright miss Dottie”

She scoffs at him but doesn’t manage to hide her smile. She takes the cat from his hands and starts to coo at it. Will finds that he can’t help but smile at the scene in front of him. There’s a warmth in his chest he hasn’t felt in months.

“Oh, where are my manners!” Miss Dottie exclaims suddenly, looking at Will with wide eyes. “You must be freezing! I’ll show you to your apartment so you can go take a nice hot shower. We don’t want you catching a cold now do we lad?”

She turns around and starts climbing the stairs at the end of the entryway, babbling to the cat as she does. Will follows behind her, struggling to keep up because of his heavy suitcase. Thankfully they only have to get up to the second floor. Miss Dottie stops in front of a door with a small 3 painted on it and takes two keys out of her cardigan’s pocket. “This here is your new home.” She says as she hands Will the keys. “The scratched one is for the building and the square one is for your own door. Now go on and get yourself settled. You’ll have to invite me for a cuppa when you’re done, it’s the rule.” She winks and Will offers her a genuine smile as he opens the door.

The apartment is not much, the front door opens on a small living room that connects to an even smaller kitchen and a narrow hallway with a door on both sides. One of them leads to the bathroom and the other to the bedroom. But what makes this apartment special is the big floor to ceiling window in the living room. They’re high up enough that Will can see the river and the miles of forest and farmlands that stretch beyond it. After a quick look around, he leaves his backpack and suitcase in the living room and takes the cat from miss Dottie.

“Take care of that little lass, there’s a reason you two found each other.” And with that, she leaves, and Will is alone in his new home. 

Well, not quite alone. He brings the cat up to his face and only notices now that she doesn’t have a tail. “I guess you’re stuck with me now. I should probably give you a name then, right?” The cat, as expected, does not answer him. She blinks her big green eyes at him and he sets her down, letting her discover this new environment at the same time as he does.

Will starts to unpack his things slowly, this won’t take long anyway. He doesn’t own much anymore, he left everything behind in London. He really needs to go shopping tomorrow, buy the necessary things a cat owner needs, along with some food for himself and other necessary goods. 

He’s almost done emptying his suitcase when his phone rings. The screen tells him it’s Mary. His sister has been calling him every day for the past month and today is no exception. He finds it overbearing, but he acknowledges the gesture for what it is. His sister cares about him and he can admit that he probably would do the same if their roles were inverted. He answers and they exchange small pleasantries. She asks him how the train ride was, if his new apartment is nice and other trivial questions. He answers his sister briefly, tells her about the rain, Miss Dottie and the cat.

“... A cat?” She sounds bewildered and Will is a bit offended.

“Yes. I wasn’t going to leave it there.”

“You used to do that all the time as a kid, I guess I thought you were over that.” There’s a pause and then his sister snorts. “Remember when you brought home a squirrel? Mum threw such a fit!” She’s laughing wholeheartedly now, something Will hasn't heard her do in months. “Did you find it a name yet?”

“Her. And no, I haven’t really thought about it yet.”

As soon as he’s finished speaking, there’s a cacophony of voices on the other line. He can barely make out words being screamed by two high pitched little voices. Will smiles. He hasn’t seen his nieces in a long time. Hearing their voices makes him wish he had gone to visit them before moving here.

“The girls want to name your cat if that’s alright with you?”

“I would be delighted.”

His statement is followed by more enthusiastic screaming and this time he can hear Mary trying to control the chaos. It lasts a moment, but they finally seem to agree on a name.

“The girls have baptized your cat Annie. Congratulation, you’ve officially taken your first step towards becoming a crazy cat person.”

He laughs, but it’s short-lived. There’s something Mary wants to say and she’s never been good at keeping quiet. The warmth of the conversation is gone now, replaced by a heavy silence.

“Will…You know-” Mary hesitates. “-you know you still have time to turn down this job right? You can even come live with us, the girls would be thrilled to see you.”

Will takes a deep breath, he knew this was coming, but he had still hoped his sister wouldn’t mention it. “I already promised the school that I’d start teaching as soon as summer ends. Besides, I’m already here, there’s no point in going back. I made my choice and you can’t change my mind Mary.”

He hears her sigh heavily. "I know. I just don't like that you're alone over there. After what happened with Fritz I don't think-"

"I'm fine." He cuts her off abruptly. "This has nothing to do with him. I moved here because I wanted this job. That's all."

There's silence on the other line for a few seconds. Mary sighs "Okay Will. I'll call you tomorrow, you better answer." 

She hangs up without leaving him a chance to respond. Will won't say it, but he's glad she won't push the issue more. He doesn't like to think about what happened back in London. This town is a new beginning, a clean slate. Nobody knows him here and he intends to keep it that way. 

He finds an old newspaper in one of the kitchen cupboards. He takes a few sheets and spreads them on the floor of the bathroom. The cat, Annie, watches him in curiosity the whole time.

“I’m sorry Annie, I’ll get you an actual litter box first thing tomorrow morning.”

He goes to the kitchen and fills a mug with water for her. It’s not much, but it’s the best he can do for her at this hour. 

Will knows he should probably take a shower, but he’s exhausted. A lot happened today and he feels a bit overwhelmed. So instead he elects to go to bed, even if it’s barely nine in the afternoon. It doesn’t take him long to fall asleep, the sound of rain hitting his window lulling him into a deep slumber.

He wakes up to the sound of someone screaming. He sits up abruptly, trying to find the source of the noise in the darkness. It takes his sleep heavy brain a few seconds to realize that what he’s hearing is a baby crying, the sound most likely coming from the only other apartment on his floor. As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he sees Annie laying at the foot of the bed. She’s squinting at him, as if somehow blaming him for the cries of the baby. Will sigh and lays back down. His alarm clock tells him it’s a quarter past three. Surely his neighbor will usher the baby back to sleep soon enough.

After a few minutes, the crying only seems to get worst. Will gets up again, in concern this time. He gets out of bed and hastily puts on a shirt. He’s halfway out the door when he realizes he might be stepping out of bounds, but he can’t ignore the cries of a baby. When his nieces were younger, his sister used to tease him about it, calling him a mother hen. 

He knocks lightly on the door with a small 4 painted on it and doesn’t have to wait long for it to open. The woman who answers him is a lot younger than Will was expecting. Her dark red hair is frizzy and untamed and the bags under her pale blue eyes speak of long sleepless nights. She looks slightly scared and Will realizes that she likely thinks he’s come here to demand that she keep the noises down.

“I am sorry.” The woman speaks with a heavy French accent. “She is not usually like this, I swear.” 

“No, it’s quite alright.” Will makes sure to relax his stance, show that he means no harm. “I was wondering if I could help. My sister says I’m quite good with babies.” He hopes he doesn’t scare her. He doesn’t think most sane people show up at their neighbor's apartment in the middle of the night to offer to help with their child.

The petite woman hesitates for a second before opening her door wider, inviting Will inside. Her apartment mirrors his, except this one feels a lot more lived-in, warmer. There seems to be a plant on every available surface, a few toys are scattered around the floor and jars are lining up the kitchen counter. Another major difference from his own home is the crib in the middle of the living room. The baby laying in it is still wailing, her little face red and puffy from crying.

The woman picks her up and starts to gently rock her. “Charlotte mon amour, je t’en prie calme toi.” The woman speaks in a hushed tone, but despite her best effort, the baby doesn’t calm down.

“May I?” Will asks softly, holding his hands forward. The woman nods and gently gives him the baby. 

The effect is almost immediate. She stops crying, the surprise of being held by a stranger overshadowing her grief. She’s still breathing heavily and squirming around in his grip, so Will doesn’t waste any time soothing her. “Bonjour Charlotte.” His French is basic and very rusty, but he wants to make an effort for the baby. “Il ne faut pas pleurer, tout va bien.”

He moves to sit on the couch and the woman follows him. Her eyes are wide, stunned that Will managed to soothe the baby’s cries this quickly.

“I must thank you for helping me monsieur.”

It’s then that Will realizes, with a certain amount of shame, that he still hasn’t introduced himself to his neighbor. “It’s the least I could do. And I’m William. William Schofield, pleased to meet you.”

“Lauri Dubois, enchanté.” She smiles warmly and they lapse into a comfortable silence, occasionally broken by the quiet noises of the baby.

“They went to sea in a Sieve, they did...” The poem flows out naturally, the words are out of his mouth before he can catch them. Will remembers fondly, when, as a child, his grandfather would recite it to him on nights he couldn’t sleep.

He recites it slowly and probably forgets some parts, but by the end of it, the baby is sound asleep. He gets up from the couch as quietly as he can and settles little Charlotte in her crib. He turns around and sees that Lauri is out like a light in her corner of the sofa. He smiles as he walks softly out of the apartment, mindful not to wake the little family.

By the time he makes it back to his bedroom, it’s almost five in the morning and Annie is asleep on his pillow. Will doesn’t have the heart to move her, so he simply lays down on the other side of the bed. He doesn’t bother to put the blanket over him, he knows the sun will wake him up soon enough.


	2. Yellow Carnations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your support on the first chapter, it means the world!!! We get to meet a lot of characters in this chapter (you get a cookie if you can guess who they all are :3) I hope you like it!! <3

The sun isn’t what wakes him up the next morning. Instead, it’s a loud crash that comes from his kitchen. He sits up with a jolt for the second time in one night and he's starting to think that he hates sleeping here. He gets up gingerly, putting on a shirt he threw on the floor earlier.

Will goes to investigate the source of the sound, but he doesn’t have to look for very long.  
He finds Annie sitting on the kitchen counter and bits of ceramic all over the floor.

“Annie! That mug was a gift you daft cat.” He feels his anger rising as he picks up the two pieces closest to him. The words Ich Liebe Dich, written in beautiful cursive, have been cut in half. He puts the pieces on the kitchen table and goes to work on cleaning the rest.

Will is mindful of where he steps because he doesn’t want to cut his feet. Adding a foot injury on top of what’s happening this morning isn’t a very tempting idea. He’s halfway done cleaning when he realizes he doesn’t own a broom yet. He sighs and looks at Annie, who still hasn’t moved from her spot on the counter. “You just love to make my life more difficult don’t you?” Unsurprisingly, the cat doesn’t answer. Instead, she jumps off the counter and disappears into the bedroom. Will shakes his head and follows after her. He needs to get ready for the day anyway.

“I’m going to buy you some toys today.” Will starts to say as he’s changing into a clean shirt. “So you don’t feel the need to break anything else in the house. I’ll buy everything else you need too, don’t you worry.” His stomach growls then, and Will is painfully reminded that he hasn’t eaten dinner yesterday. “First stop tho, breakfast. I suppose you don’t know any good restaurants around here?” Annie blinks slowly at him. “Yeah, I figured.”

Will grabs his jacket, makes sure he has his phone, wallet, and keys and leaves Annie to guard the house while he's gone.

The weather this morning is a lot more enjoyable than it was last night. Large grey clouds are still lingering in the sky, remnants of the storm, but the sun still manages to peak trough, bathing the town in its golden light. Will starts wandering aimlessly along the main road in search of something to eat. Most shops have barely just opened, employees are buzzing around, putting up signs and opening doors. His wandering eventually leads him to a small cafe not too far away from the train station. 

The coffee shop isn't very big, it only has enough place for a few tables and two comfortable looking couches. The brick walls are covered in acrylic paintings of animals and landscapes. There are plants hanging from the ceiling in front of the windows, the natural light coming in through them making the place feel warm and cozy.

There are two young men behind the counter, one tall and brown-haired and the other short with dirty blond hair. They're happily engaged in conversation and don't seem to have noticed him yet. He clears his throat awkwardly, not too sure how to get their attention. 

“Oh!” The taller one notices him first and turns away from his friend. “Hello there, didn't see you come in. What can we get you.”

His smile is kind and genuine and Will finds himself surprised by it. He's not used to employees being this nice. He orders a coffee and a muffin and stands a bit to the side, waiting for his breakfast to be ready.

“Pretty bad weather we had yesterday.” The tall man is looking at him while he says this, and Will has to check behind him to make sure he's actually the one being spoken to.

“Uhm, yes?”

“It's been storming like that since the beginning of July. Hopefully August brings more sunshine, yeah?”

Will nods, still slightly unsettled by the situation. “Hopefully.”

“You're the guy that just moved in at Dottie’s right? I'm sure you haven't been impressed yet, but just you wait, this town is full of great people and-”

The tall barista gets cut off by his smaller friend nudging him in the side. “Will you shut it Francis? You're clearly making the lad uncomfortable.”

At that, the tall brunet, Francis, seems to get bashful, one hand going to rub at the side of his neck. “Ah, sorry. I get carried away easily 

Will feels bad, he hadn't meant to make Francis feel uncomfortable, he had only been surprised at his friendliness.

“No, it's alright. Francis right?” He extends a hand forward. “I'm Will, nice to meet you.”

Francis beams and shakes his hand. “Welcome to Dedham Will, I hope you'll like it here.”

Will has no doubt about the sincerity of his statement. He pays for his order and goes to sit at one of the tables closer to the windows. He eats his breakfast slowly, scrolling through his phone, looking at the news, answering emails and pointedly avoiding to look at his text messages. 

While he's there, only a single other client comes in. It's a young man, barely older than a teenager, with a mustache and curly brown hair. He chats with the two baristas for a while and then goes to sit down in one of the couches, large book in one hand and coffee in the other.

Will leaves not too long after that, already feeling a bit better than he did this morning. His next stop it the grocery store, a little building situated next to the river, the branches of a large willow tree almost completely covering its facade. He spends a long time there and buys enough food to last him a week.

He quickly comes to the realization that his hands are full and he’ll need to stop at his apartment before he can continue his errands. Thankfully the store had a pet section, and Will managed to find all the essentials he needs for Annie. He even finds her a little blue mouse toy with a bell tied at the end of its tail.

Once he's back home he sets up everything for Annie. Give her a proper litter box, bowls for food and water on the kitchen counter and shows her the toy.

The second he takes out the little mouse out of the bag, Annie's eyes are on him, wide as saucers. He gives the toy a little shake, making the bell ring. The cat crouches down, ready to pounce.

With a quiet laugh, Will tosses the toy and Annie launches after it, little paws running a mile an hour to catch up to it. She takes it in her mouth, shaking it and rolling on her belly. She does this for a few seconds before she stops abruptly. She sits down and looks at Will and if she had a tail, he's sure it would be wagging.

Will, confused, goes to grab the toy again and he throws it, a bit farther this time. Annie shoots off like a bullet again and Will laughs, full-heartedly this time. He’s never seen a cat play fetch before and he's never had a dog to play it with either.

They are interrupted from their game by a knock on the door. Will gets up from where he had sat down in the living room and goes to greet their visitor. 

Miss Dottie is standing in the hallway, broom in hand and warm smile on her face. “There you are, lad! I wanted to come by earlier but you were gone before I even finished my morning tea.” 

She pushes past him and gets inside the apartment like she owns the place. Technically, she does own the building, so Will doesn't complain. “Is it already time for the tea I owe you? Because I haven't quite finished settling in yet.”

Miss Dottie laughs. “Not why I'm here actually. I heard the little ruckus this morning and figured you might need this.” She holds out the broom she came in with. “Cats can be little bastard” 

Will takes the broom gratefully, if only a little confused at the situation. “Thank you, really. I’ll bring this back downstairs when I'm done cleaning.”

Miss Dottie waves her hand and makes a little displeased noise. “Nonsense, it’s a housewarming gift. You'll need it more than I do anyway.” She pats Will on the shoulder and smiles. He knows better than to argue with her, so he simply smiles back and nods in gratitude. Miss Dottie seems pleased by this and she leaves without another word. 

She stops in the doorway seeming to remember something at the last moment. “Speaking of house warming, this place could do with more plants. They help keep your mind clean and your air fresh.”

“I don't think that's a good idea Miss Dottie. I'm not very good at keeping plants alive.” Will tells her truthfully.

She thinks for a few seconds and snaps her fingers, an idea coming to her mind. “Well then, get ones that are already dead. There’s a flower shop not too far from here. And maybe try to find some paintings too while you’re at it. This place could use some colors.”

She right of course. Every wall in the apartment is painted a pale beige and the furnitures are all made out of the same old brown wood. He won’t put any paintings up, he can’t, but flowers he can do. “Alright miss Dottie, I’ll head there as soon as I finish cleaning up.”

She nods, satisfied, and just as fast as she came, she’s gone. Leaving Will feeling quite dumbfounded about the whole interaction. He blinks, collecting himself quickly. He gets to work on cleaning the broken mug, making sure to be thorough. He doesn't want Annie to step on any piece he might have missed. Once he’s done, he throws all the fragments in the trash. All but the two he put on the table.

Will finds that he can’t bring himself to touch them. They feel sacred, like getting rid of them would be a horrible sin. So he leaves them there and tries to ignore their meaning as he heads out the door. He wants to be done with his errands today, and noon is already approaching fast.

The sun is fully shining now, no longing hidden by clouds. There are people out and about, old couples walking hand in hand and children playing in the street. Will walks from shop to shop without haste, taking his time to appreciate the warm weather. He’s shocked to realize that he’s eager to know more about this town and its people. The kindness they have shown him so far has made the constant ache in his heart more bearable.

He’s done shopping after a few hours, having found everything he needed. But there’s still one last thing he needs to do: buy some flowers. He has no idea where the flower shop miss Dottie told him about is, he’ll probably have to ask someone for directions.

Lucky for him, there’s a man walking his dog right in front of him. “Excuse me!” Will quicken his pace so he can fall in step with the man. “I was wondering if you could point me towards the nearest flower shop?”

The man nods, a warm smile on his face. “Of course! Abbie and I walk past it every day. We can escort you if you want, it isn’t very far.”

Will accepts the offer gratefully and before long, the two men are engaged in conversation, though Will isn’t saying much. He quickly learns that the man, Samuel Buchanan, is a veteran and he moved to Dedham shortly after getting his discharge. Abbie, the little Jack Russell, is his service dog and the two of them seem quite inseparable.

Will is so caught up in their chat that he doesn’t notice they’ve stopped walking until Samuel points it out. “There it is.” He says, gesturing to the small shop they’re standing in front of. “See you later Will.” He says this like an old friend would, and Will finds himself weirdly touched by it. He can only wave as Samuel and Abbie continue their walk, leaving him with the important task of buying some flowers to please miss Dottie. He regrets it the second he steps into the flower shop. The amount of smells and colors immediately overwhelms him. He’s about to walk right back out when a voice interrupts him.

“Welcome, can I help you with anything?”

The person at the counter is cute in a boyish kind of way. His round face and baby blue eyes give him a certain air of innocence and his smile is genuine. His black hair is a mess, like he hasn’t bothered to brush them when he woke up and, strangely enough, this only seems to add to his appeal. There’s a streak of mud on his left cheek that makes him look both completely ridiculous and yet absolutely endearing.

“That won’t be necessary, I’m simply looking.” Will wants to be out of here as soon as possible, if only so he doesn’t embarrass himself in front of the boy.

“Alright!” He goes back to working on the pink and white bouquet in front of him, humming lightly as he does.

Will looks around the shop for a bit, not seeing any flowers he particularly wants in his apartment, until something familiar catches his attention. Yellow carnations, Friedrich favorites. He takes a few flowers without thinking and brings them to the counter.

The boy chuckles lightly as he sees his purchase. “New in town and already breaking hearts?”

Will blinks in confusion. “Excuse me?”

“Yellow carnations.” The boy says as if it’s all the information he needs. “They mean disappointment and rejection. I hope you weren’t planning on giving these to a girl because that wouldn’t go over very well.”

Will is taken aback by this, not sure how to respond. He almost wants to laugh at the irony of it, but he feels like he’ll start crying if he opens his mouth. He doesn’t say anything as he pays and the boy seems to realize he’s made a mistake, keeping quiet except for a polite goodbye as Will leaves.

He makes it back to his apartment on autopilot, putting the flowers on the kitchen table and putting away the stuff he bought this afternoon. He tries to ignore the carnations for as long as he can but he quickly runs out of things to do. He sits down at the kitchen table, looking at the two mug pieces and the yellow flowers next to it.

He remembers the first time he celebrated Fritz’s birthday. He had called the other man’s mother, who barely spoke any English, asking her to help him prepare an authentic rouladen, a meal Fritz had mentioned he loved once. At some point in the call, she had mentioned yellow carnation, and Will went out to buy two dozen after he was finished cooking.

He remembers how Friedrich had cried when he saw their apartment, lit only by candles, yellow carnations in every corner and smelling like the meal his mother used to make. That night had been amazing, they made love and talked about nothing and everything until the sun came up, promising each other the world.

Will doesn’t notice he’s crying until he sees a tear land on the table. He wipes his face roughly and gets up in one sharp movement, his chair almost toppling over from the force of it. It’s over and done now, there’s no point in crying about it anymore. He grabs the two pieces of ceramic roughly and accidentally cuts his left hand with them. He swears and throws them in the trash with more force than necessary. He does the same with the flowers, tears making his vision blurry again. He leaves his apartment in a rush, slamming the door behind him. He needs some fresh air, to do something to change his mind.

He ends up walking by the river for a while, the calm water soothing his frayed nerves. He heads back into town once the sun is starting to set, painting everything around him a soft shade of gold. Will feels a lot calmer now, walking around aimlessly and letting his mind wander, writing poems in his mind that he’ll never put on paper.

He doesn’t realize he’s stopped in front of the flower shop until the same boy from earlier waves at him through the window, a bright smile on his face. Will waves back awkwardly and walks in, feeling himself blush at his total lack of social skills.

“You came back!” The dark-haired boy seems both surprised and happy by that fact.

“Yes. I wanted to apologize for how things ended earlier, that was rude of me.”

“Oh no, you don’t need to apologize! My brother always says I talk too much for my own good. I end up putting my foot in my mouth way too often, so I’m sorry if I said anything to upset you. Is there a way I can make it up to you?”

“Yes, actually. I’d like to buy some flowers that don’t mean disappointment this time.”

The boy chuckles and nods. He thinks hard for a few seconds before recognition dawns on him. “I think I got just the thing! I’ll be right back.” He disappears in the back store for a moment, before coming back, holding some flowers that almost look like some pink cauliflower.

“Sedum!” The boy holds them up triumphantly, like a kid who just won a prize. “They mean peace and perseverance. Some people also say they’re a cure for broken hearts.”

The smile the boys gives him is innocent enough, yet Will feels like he knows more than he lets on. “Thank you, these are definitely better. I’m Will by the way, nice to meet you.”

The smile the boy gives him is warmer than the evening sun. “Pleased to meet you Will, I’m Tom.”

And just like that, the floodgates have been opened, Tom starts talking and just doesn’t stop. His brother is right, he talks way too much and yet Will can’t be bothered by it. His stories are genuinely funny and he has of way of speaking that leaves Will hanging on to his every word. He doesn’t notice how long they’ve been talking like this, each leaning on their side of the counter, laughing, until Tom looks at his watch and stops talking in the middle of a story.

“Shit! I was supposed to close the shop fifteen minutes ago. Mr. Erinmore’s gonna have my head.”

Will, obviously being the reason Tom was so distracted, feels bad about putting the young man in trouble. “I’m sorry, I didn’t notice the time either. I’ll let you close in peace.”

“Oh no, it was no bother really!” Tom answers a bit too quickly. “People here are a bit tired of me always telling stories, it was nice to have someone appreciate them.”

Will smiles, takes his flowers and leaves. He’s halfway out the door when Tom speaks again. “I hope I’ll see you again soon Will!”

And with that, the door closes, leaving Will to stand in the middle of the sidewalk, flowers in hands and a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!! Friendly reminder that this is un-beta'ed and that my English is self-taught, so if you see any mistakes please feel free to point them out!! I appreciate it!!


	3. Cherry Pie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long luvs u_u First I wrote the amnesia au and then I watched Dunkirk for the first time and brain was like... Fluff? Don't know her. :,( Hope you still enjoy this none the less!! Not edited because it's late and I wanna get it out as soon as possible lmao but I'll come back to do that later

He feels light on his feet as he heads back home. The sun is fully set now, streetlights illuminating his path. 

As he opens the door to his apartment building, he almost runs face to face into miss Dottie, who was on her way out.

Before he can apologize, she pats him in the chest, a warm smile on her face. “Well, you seem chipper. Had a good afternoon I bet.”

He nods. “Yes, it went fairly well.”

Her eyes land on the flowers he's holding and her smile becomes impossibly more bright. “Would you look at those, they're beautiful! I see you're a smart fella, following my advice.”

“Well, did I ever really have a choice?”

She snorts and hits him in the chest again. “No, you didn't. You got those from Erinmore’s right?”

He nods in affirmation.

Miss Dottie rolls her eyes, though there's a certain fondness behind it. “I hope that kid Tom didn't talk your ears off. That lad doesn't know when to shut up.”

Will feels a blush rise on his face. “Actually, we talked for a while. He's a very good storyteller.”

Miss Dottie is quiet for a few seconds, she looks at him, eyes squinted, before a smile slowly creeps back on her face. “Oh, is he now?”

Will feels his blush deepens, he feels like a kid who's mum just found their schoolyard crush. 

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Miss Dottie says as she looks at her wrist. She's not even wearing a watch. “I’m having dinner with my son, I don't want to be late. I'll see you later William.”

“See you miss Dottie.” And just like that she’s gone, acting like she didn’t make Will blush three different shades of red in five minutes.

He gets up to his apartment and takes a glass that he fills with water. He puts his newly acquired flowers into the makeshift vase and puts them on his windowsill. 

The little pink flowers aren’t the prettiest, but the thought behind them is what counts the most. They bring a touch of life that was sorely missing from his dull apartment.

Annie jumps on the windowsill then, sniffing the new addition to their house with curiosity.

“What do you think of them?” Annie sneezes and wipes her face with her paw. “Yeah, I think so too.”

Will stars to get to work on making himself dinner, making sure to give the cat some food first. He's in the middle of cutting up some vegetables when Mary calls him. 

They end up talking through his entire meal. She gives him news about the girls and tells him about the vacation she's planning to take them on in a few weeks. Will, for his part, tells his sister about all the new things he's learned about Dedham today. He tells her about the nice little café with employees who like to talk, about miss Dottie and how pretty the river is. And he tells her about the boy in the flower shop who likes to talk a lot.

“Are you going to see him again?” Mary asks him, sounding genuinely curious.

“Who, Tom? I suppose so, in a town this small you tend to bump into the same people quite frequently.”

“I’m not talking accidentally, you idiot. I mean that you should ask him out sometimes, it sounds like you two got along just fine.”

“Oh.” Will feels himself grow a few shades of red, though he doesn’t really understand where this sudden embarrassment is coming from. “I guess so. I’ll see what I can do.”

Mary hums and Will can practically see her smug smile from here. “Yeah, you do that sweetheart. I have to get the girls ready for bed, talk to you tomorrow.”

Will can’t stop smiling as he gets ready for bed, the flowers on his windowsill a constant reminder of the reason for his good mood. Annie’s curled up on his back and purring loudly and, for the first time in a long while, Will doesn’t think of a boy with blond hair and paint stuck on his fingers. Instead, his mind wanders towards a boy with black hair and a streak of mud on his cheek.

He's woken up by someone pounding on his door. He checks his alarm clock, it's 5:30 am.

Will is beginning to think that something in this town really, really doesn't want him to sleep. He gets up groggily, accidentally shoving Annie in the process. She hisses at him and he apologizes absentmindedly as he shuffles his way towards his front door.

He's surprised to find Lauri standing on the other side, holding baby Charlotte in her arms and looking absolutely distraught.

Will is immediately alert, mind coming up with a million of terrible scenarios, each worse than the rest. 

“William!” She seems relieved to see him, but her voice still seems nervous. “I am so sorry to wake you up, but I must ask for your help.”

“No, it’s alright. What can I do for you?”

“It is Charlotte, her babysitter can not come pick her up today. I am already late for work and I did not know who to ask.” She looks desperate, like she’s about to cry.

“You want me to look after her today?” Will is taken aback by the request, he wasn’t expecting that at all.

Lauri nods as she blinks quickly, trying to fight back tears. “S’il-vous plaît…”

Will nods, he’s got nothing better to do today and he’s never been one to refuse to help someone. Besides, he loves babies, so it’s not like it bothers him too much to look after Charlotte.

Lauri’s entire body sags in relief and she hands Will the sleeping little girl. “Thank you so much William. My door is not locked, you can take her things when you want.”

Will nods again as he cradles Charlotte’s little body close to his chest. She’s still deeply asleep, unaware of the world around her. He can’t but smile as he looks at her, she seems so at peace in his arms.

When Will looks up again, Lauri is already gone. He didn’t even hear her go down the stairs. The adrenaline rush he had earlier is gone and he yawns, suddenly feeling very tired. He closes the door and goes to lay down on his couch, little Charlotte still held close to his chest. As he starts to drift off, he feels Annie settling herself on his legs and Will falls asleep with a smile on his lips.

He’s woken up by something hitting him lightly in the chest. He blinks awake slowly, confused about what’s happening for a moment. Charlotte is looking at him with big blue eyes filled with wonder, her littles fists pounding rhythmically on his chest.

“Good morning to you too luv. Is it breakfast time already?” The baby ignores him in favor of sucking on her own fist, drooling all over Will’s shirt. “I’ll take this as a yes then.” 

Will decides to switch apartments for the day, it’ll be much easier to tend to Charlotte’s needs in her own home. She’s an easy baby, eating her food without much of a fuss and she’s content to draw in a ruined coloring book while Will eats his own meal.

Someone knocks on the door early in the afternoon. Will and Charlotte are laying on the ground, a dozen colorful blocks sprawled between them. He grabs as he goes to answer the door, expecting Miss Dottie.

The older woman on the other side of the door is definitely not Miss Dottie. She’s short and stout, her short black hair barely reaching her shoulder.

“Oh dear, you must be Will! Lauri called me earlier to explain the situation. I’m Violet Blake, enchanted to meet you.” She holds out a hand and Will shakes it.

“I’m usually the one who babysits little Charlotte, but I couldn't get her earlier because my dog gave birth this morning!” She gives a short laugh, hand on her chest. “It was quite a thing to wake up to.”

Will nods, smiling politely. “I can imagine so. And you don't have to worry about Charlotte miss, Lauri should be home fairly soon anyway.”

“Of course.” She's about to leave when she hesitates, looking between him and the baby. “I baked a cherry pie today, for my sons, but they're both too busy to stop by. It would be such a shame for it to go to waste.”

Will can't help the laugh that escapes out of him. The people of Dedham are something else, he doesn't think he'll ever get used to it. “It would be terrible indeed. I suppose we can stop by for a little while. What do you think Charlotte?” 

The little girl babbles happily, her chubby arms flailing around. That’s a yes then. He goes to find Charlotte’s stroller, and while he's at it he packs up a few things for their little journey. 

As they walk through the quiet streets of Dedham, Will quickly learns that miss Blake is of excellent company. She’s a great talker, telling stories with just enough details that it doesn't get overwhelming, and always makes sure Will has enough place to add a word in. Not like he does, but the gesture is appreciated. She's incredibly motherly, always making sure she includes Charlotte in the conversation, even if the only answers the baby can provide are little coos. 

They walk for about twenty minutes before they reach Miss Blake’s home, an old farmhouse farther out from town, surrounded by almost a dozen cherry trees. The inside is cozy, messy in a way that’s lived in.

Will settles Charlotte on his lap as he settles at the kitchen table, eating cherry pie and listening to Miss Blake talk about the first time Lauri tried to bake. She’s just getting at the part where the flour bag exploded everywhere when she’s interrupted by a knock on the door.

Miss Blake looks towards the entryway, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Who could it possibly be?”

“Don't worry, I'll get it.” Will says as he gets up, handing her little Charlotte.

He opens the door and finds himself face to face with the boy from the flower shop. They both look at each other with wide eyes, neither knowing how to react. He’s so surprised he doesn’t even notice that Lauri is standing next to Tom until she speaks. “William! I am so glad madame Violet and you have met!”

He can only nod in response, still looking at Tom in complete surprise. The other boy is the first to regain his composure, a big smile on his lips. “When I said I hoped to see you again, I didn’t mean so soon.” He pauses, shamelessly checking Will out. “But I can’t say I’m complaining.”

Will can only blink in answer, feeling himself start to blush. Dedham is a small town, but the odds of this happening are practically impossible. Lauri is laughing quietly behind them, clearly finding great enjoyment in the situation.

“Are you going to let me in or am I going to have to break into my own house?” Tom is getting cheeky now, his grin teasing. Will doesn't bother to answer him, he simply opens the door and steps aside to let the boy and Lauri in.

They’ve barely stepped in the entryway when Miss Blake is behind him suddenly, voice chipper as she greets her new guests. “Lauri, my darling, I’m so sorry about this morning! Myrtle chose quite an unfortunate moment to give birth.”

Lauri shakes her head, a large smile still on her lips. “Oh no madame Violet, there is no need to feel sorry for this.” She puts a gentle hand on Will’s arm. “Besides, William was there to save the day.”

He can feel himself get even more red as he smiles sheepishly. “It was a pleasure really. Charlotte is such a nice baby.”

He helps Lauri gather all of Charlotte’s things while Miss Blake puts what’s left of the pie in a container for her to bring home. The young woman leaves not too long after that, while the sun is barely starting to set. Will offers to walk her home but she waves him off, assuring him that she’s going to be alright on her own.

Will expect it to be awkward, sitting alone at a table with Tom and his mother. He immediately feels silly for thinking so, it takes him less than ten minutes to feel right at home with the Blake’s. He doesn’t know how it happens, but Will gets roped into staying for dinner. He tries to argue, but Miss Blake shuts him down so fast it leaves his head spinning.

Miss Blake makes the best fish pie he’s ever eaten in his life, and he tells her so. She blushes hard, flustered, and Tom accuses him of trying to seduce his mother. Dinner passes all too quickly and, before he knows it, Will finds himself drying the dishes while Tom washes them. Meanwhile, Miss Blake is sitting in the living room, dozing off as she watches the television.

“Thank you for staying over tonight, mum’s been real lonely since Joe left.”

Will hums, not looking away from the mug he’s drying. “I don’t think I ever had a choice, your mother is a scarily fierce lady.”

The other boy snorts. “ Yeah, that she is.”

They fall in comfortable silence after that, well, as silent as Tom can be. The younger man humming to himself and making an inappropriate joke every few minutes. They’re done too soon and Will can only stand awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen as Tom goes to check on his mother.

“She’s out like a light.” Tom leans against the kitchen doorway, a small smile on his face. “Couldn’t even finish Downton Abbey.”

They both chuckle, trying to keep quiet. Will looks at the clock on the wall, it’s getting late and Annie is going to be mad if he’s not home soon. “I should probably go.”

“Yup.” Tom says, not moving from his spot.

Will can only blink slowly at the boy, who’s looking back at him with his head tilted, a small smile on his lips. Then his eyes go wide, realizing his mistake, and he scrambles away from the doorway, muttering incoherent apologies.

Will is barely out of the door when the boy behind him regains his composure. “Will?”

The man in question turns around, eyebrow raised as he waits for him to continue.

“Next time, we’re doing this at your place.” Tom goes red so fast Will is almost concerned for his safety, but the other boy isn’t backing down, looking at him with untamed hope in his pale blue eyes.

“Of course. It’s only fair, right?” Will can feel his own blush growing as he answers, a small smile on his lips.

“Uh, yes. Okay, cool.” And with that Tom slams the door closed on Will’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to that anon who gave me the kick in the but I needed to finish this chapter!! Fair warning, I will be slow to update this, but not to worry, I'm not giving up on it!! I'm just slow to write it rip :( Friendly reminder that this is un-beta'ed and that my English is self-taught, so if you see any mistakes please feel free to point them out!! I appreciate it!!

**Author's Note:**

> I was very nervous to post this because I am not a writer but the idea just wouldn't leave me alone!! Friendly reminder that this is un-beta'ed and that my English is self-taught, so if you see any mistakes please feel free to point them out!! I appreciate it!!


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